The Blokes missed the deadline for a Christmas single but have a New Year’s release that keys in to the holiday planning that goes on at this time of the year for those fortunate enough to have the means.
Author: Bryan Page 11 of 12
To the honour of those patriots executed by
the Germans of the Third Reich
giving their lives for our liberty
July 15 1944
These are the words on a memorial to 9 Greek partisans executed by firing squad in the square of Chora, the hill top (and former main) town on Alonissos in the Northern Aegean. Consulting Wikipedia indicates that the wording on the memorial was changed in the 1980s to state that the perpetrators were German troops from a particular era – and, I like to think, makes clear that all Germans should not be held guilty by association. War is brutalising and I have often wondered how I would behave in such extreme and stressful circumstances.
‘These torturing hours of ascent seemed as though they could never end ……… the sun trampled overhead through sizzling and windless air. Feet became cannon-balls, loads turned to lead, hearts pounded, hands slipped on the handles of sticks and rivers of sweat streamed over burning faces and trickled into our mouths like brine. Why, we kept wondering, though too short of breath for talk, does one ever embark on these furious wrestling matches, these rib-cracking clinches with the sublime?’
Patrick Leigh Fermor, ‘Mani – Travels in the Southern Peloponnese’ (1958)
They say ‘ never go back’, but they also say ‘never say never!’ It’s hard to know what to do for the best sometimes and if you really want to grapple with the mixed messages in the genre that is our culture’s helpful sayings you can do no worse than Richard Hoggart ‘Uses of Literacy’ (1957) where the comedy of ‘too many cooks’ vs ‘many hands’ is explored in full.
Sue and I did go back – to the Sporades in the northern Aegean after 36 years, and in doing so felt that we were risking a fair bit as the previous trip had been huge for us – our first big holiday together and one which very much cemented our relationship. We both have very fond memories of the summer long adventure and of the islands – so would a return so many years later prove to be a huge disappointment and worse, would it contaminate our precious memories?
SMALLTON and HEDGE END EXAMINER
No fire without smoke, no spark left unhosed
FIRE BRIGADE BATTLE 30 FOOT FLAMES ON TOWN ALLOTMENTS
By Reginald E Porter, Chief Horticultural Correspondent
Pensioner under gardener Doug Trench is at the centre of another inflammatory controversy on the Town allotments following a bonfire that got out of control resulting in the destruction of a shed of timber and a hedge of blackthorn. The Town Fire Brigade were called to the scene last Tuesday evening as flames 30 foot high engulfed the end of Mr Trench’s allotment.
Context is everything:
It is a late sunny summer Sunday afternoon in the crowded beer garden of the Rat and Broadbean. The band have been playing for a couple of hours, pausing only to rehydrate in the hot sun. The vocalist left the stage a few minutes ago saying that he was going for a little lie down and the remaining band members have decided to play out with a light jazz number.
On the day after the referendum, on the day the result was announced, I went up to the allotment, but found myself unable to concentrate on the weeding. After a number of attempts to motivate myself I gave up and went and sat in the greenhouse, drinking coffee from a flask and regarding the now lightly falling rain with some distaste. Eventually I had to admit it was no good – I couldn’t distract myself – I would have to deal with it, and that for me, often entails writing stuff down.
Our family, and many of our friends and their families, have regularly camped in the summer holidays on a small, family run, campsite on the north coast of the Llyn peninsular in North Wales. Earlier this month Sue and I were camping there, where we met Simon from Shropshire who reminisced about the years that he and his wife Jane had been coming to the site. Simon was particularly keen to recall the evening football matches that took place in ‘the top field’ in the late 80s / early 90s – ‘England v Wales, often 40 a side,men and boys …. men and boys!’
We routinely camped in a different field and our children were too young to be involved in these matches – but it was impossible not be aware of them.
The following is based on memories of actual events ……..
Elephant in the cold frame? – more like ‘Mastodon crashing through the raspberry canes’ when this explodes across the front pages tomorrow. So I see no point in holding back the inside info any longer – remember you read this story here first!!
SPOILER ALERT – This is the last of 4 episodes chronicling the predation of 9 broad bean plants on Allotment 335. Episode 1 was posted on 20th April 2016 (below).
A number of you have asked about the extraordinary Allotment Committee meeting trailed in the last edition of The Examiner. The meeting was last week and I trust you will agree that for all right minded people it was one to miss!
With mixed feelings I am sharing a further set of extracts from the latest edition of The Examiner which covers the meeting and subsequent events in Smallton. I have no wish to attract the sort of criticism currently being levelled at the script writers of the Archers and am very aware of the potential consequences to my reputation of forwarding contentious political views dressed up as satire.
So this will be our last visit to Smallton ………. for a while.
